Zack Finley's Blog

Betrayal from Within is live!

My latest book in the Surviving the Black series, “Betrayal from within is now live on Amazon. at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085CGCLWB

This is Book 4 in the series.

Surviving the Black; Book 4

The title of the Book 4 is “Betrayal from Within.” I still have several weeks of writing and then a week of editing left, but it should be posted sometime in October, barring writer’s block or some other issue.

I want to thank all my readers, especially those who follow me on Amazon and Facebook. Plus all those who have left a review on Amazon and Goodreads. While a few reviews have been rough, most have been very encouraging, so thanks to all. Rumors suggest the number of reviews has some influence on the highly mysterious Amazon algorithms so reviews are much appreciated.

To those pushing for Book 4, I began a self-imposed moratorium on adventuring in World of Warcraft weeks ago, to help me concentrate on writing and not gaming. There are still plenty of distractions, especially during moments of uncertainty in my writing as I weigh taking one direction over another.

I’m a seat-of-the-pants style writer, so while i have a general idea of the story line, the twists and turns are frequently a surprise even to me. I’ve posted the cover of “Betrayal from Within” on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/direprophecy/ if you want a sneak preview.

I’m also hosting a giveaway for my “Dire Prophecy” novel on Amazon starting tomorrow. Pick up a free ebook copy starting at 0:00 on Sept. 12 until Monday at 23:59 and give it a try at https://amzn.to/2stvyDg

“Dire Prophecy” is basically about preparing for an apocalypse on Jaloa, an alien planet with magic, swords, and sorcery. And plenty of evil, plus a bit of romance. It is the first novel of three, also available on Amazon and on Kindle Unlimited. I’m hoping the story finds a following so I can afford to get back to it sometime in the future. I was actually writing the series’ fourth novel when the sales of “Breckinridge Valley” took off and my priorities shifted to supporting the Surviving the Black story line.

Since “Breckinridge Valley” came out in January I’ve sold nearly 4,000 e-books and more than 5 million pages on Kindle Unlimited, so it has been a remarkable ride.

Please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads for any of my novels you read. Amazon has advised that “Breckinridge Valley” will be enrolled in an Amazon Prime program sometime in the future. I’ll let you know when I know more about it.

Thanks again for your support.

Zack.

Bittersweet Homecoming now live

“Bittersweet Homecoming (Surviving the Black–Book 3) is now live on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TTSCTKC

“Bittersweet Homecoming” (Surviving the Black–Book 3) is a
post-apocalyptic survival thriller set in today’s America. It thrusts the
reader into the lives of a team of warriors attempting a daring rescue mission
across a dystopian America still reeling from the complete collapse of society.

“Bittersweet Homecoming” picks up the tale where “To the
Rescue” left off. The action in this new full-length novel by burgeoning author
Zack Finley is nonstop. The story builds on the solid foundation established by
the first two books of the series.

The Surviving the Black series presents one version of a possible future. One where America suffers a catastrophic failure of its electrical grid that triggers the cascading collapse of the national supply chain. It exposes the dangers of industrialized farming, centralized production hubs, and just-in-time distribution when the power goes down.

This series features well-researched survival tips against
the backdrop of rural America.

Caution: This is the third in a series expected to contain a
total of five books. It relies heavily on story elements introduced in the
first two novels. Mature themes, not suitable for persons under 18.

Surviving the Black Series to be 5 novels

Some fans have asked me when there will be a book 3 of
Surviving the Black and if there will be more. At this time, I feel there will
be five novels in this series, all following Jeremy’s adventure and angst in an
America post-CME. There is a caveat, of course, I actually thought we’d rescue
Andy in Book 2 and was surprised about half way through the story that it
wasn’t going to happen. I promise the last book will not end on a cliff hanger.

I am already musing about a new unrelated series in this
genre.

Book 3 is well underway. It takes me a solid 2 months to write an 88,000-word novel. I got a slower start on Book 3 due to a death in the family but I’m now plugging away at it for 8 solid hours a day, either writing or researching. Usually about ¾ of the way through writing the book I settle on a title and hire someone to do the cover. It then takes one to two weeks to edit and once edited about a day to post it online. The hardest part of publishing it is getting the new book to link with the others in a series. That can take Amazon a week or more. Expect Book 3 in early June. As soon as it goes live, I’ll post a link to it on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/direprophecy/

While waiting you may wish to check out my other four novels on Amazon, although they are not in the same genre.

Thank you so much for your readership, reviews, and
comments. I no longer feel like I am writing just for myself. The four books I
published in 2018 never caught on. After finishing Duchy Unleashed, I needed a
break from life on Jaloa to explore other universes of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. My
false starts included a shifter/vampire mystery and a space military story.

I stuck with Breckinridge Valley because I found the premise
fascinating. I first read about a coronal mass ejection in a Sci-Fi novel. At first,
I thought while the premise was intriguing, but probably unrealistic. Then I
read a boatload of official reports about CMEs and I became horrified that no
one was taking the issue seriously.

In my lifetime electricity went from being a nicety to
becoming a necessity. Food production became just another industry. If you
doubt that just think back to the latest food recall and how far the tainted
pork, beef, or Romain lettuce spread in a short time. Current government
regulations favor centralized food production, which depends on a cheap,
reliable distribution network fueled by gasoline and diesel. Nearly every
American home is now heated by electricity or natural gas. Just-in-time
deliveries, a new concept in the 1950s applied to the automobile industry, now
drives much of today’s commerce. It means all stores carry the bare minimum in
stock, relying on a wide distribution net. If that distribution network shuts
down, we must survive on what we have on hand. A scary thought.

Sequel to Breckinridge Valley now live

“To the Rescue” the sequel to my post-apocalyptic thriller “Breckinridge Valley” just went live on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QC29N63/

 “To the Rescue” A
Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller (Surviving the Black–Book 2) continues the
saga of a hardy band of multi-generational survivors in rural Tennessee started
in “Breckinridge Valley; Surviving the Black—Book 1” by burgeoning author Zack
Finley.

The action in “To the Rescue” begins about three months
after a massive coronal mass ejection wipes out the electrical grid in
industrialized countries around the world. The loss of power triggers cascading system failures and the complete collapse
of the national supply chain.

When the power goes down,
it doesn’t just affect electricity. Soon families can no longer count on
supplies of natural gas, propane, or heating oil to stay warm, so what do they
do? The corner grocery store has at most a week’s supply of food. When that is gone, then what?

When the power dies, most sources of clean water dry up.
Medical care deteriorates to life before antibiotics. Those counting on a
government rescue haven’t learned the harsh lessons taught by Hurricanes
Katrina, Maria, Michael, Harvey, or Sandy.

Hunger, fear, uncertainty, and deprivation lead to civil
unrest and chaos as societal norms crumble. Even if your family prepared what
happens when your less prepared neighbors get desperate? How far would you go
to save your family?

As much as those in Breckinridge Valley just want to be left
alone to care for their families, the outside world finds a way to intrude.

This electrifying novel of persistence demonstrates the
expanding versatility of new author Zack Finley. This dystopian novel features
well-researched survival tips against the backdrop of rural America.

The Surviving the Black series presents one version of a
possible future, should American society continue its increasing dependence on
a poorly managed electrical grid and food supplies coming from half a continent
away.

Mature themes, not suitable for persons under 18.

In today’s Headlines

The impact of a Coronal Mass Ejection from our sun on
Wednesday will be visible across much of the Northern United States starting
tonight. The NOAA Space Weather site three-day forecast https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/g2-moderate-watch-effect-23-march-2019-utc-day

Shows the predicted Auroras from the CME detected on March
20 with a minor component directed at the Earth.

What if the CME had not just had a “minor component”
directed at Earth. Read my novel “Breckinridge Valley—Surviving the Black-Book
1 on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MY95YV8/  to see its impact on one small enclave in rural
Tennessee.

Sequel to “Breckinridge Valley”

I have a few weeks to go to finish up “To the Rescue” Surviving the Black-Book 2. It is the sequel to “Breckinridge Valley.” Just approved the book cover for it so that is ready to go. Based on reviews and suggestions shared by my readers I will also issue a new re-edited version of Breckinridge Valley at about the time I upload “To the Rescue.”

Thanks again to my readers for your reviews and encouragement. I’ll be posting the new cover on https://www.facebook.com/direprophecy/

Thank you readers!

Wow! Fans of the dystopia and post-apocalyptic genres have welcomed my new novel, “Breckinridge Valley,” with open arms. I want to thank everyone who purchased a book or checked it out on Kindle Unlimited. As always, special thanks to readers who left a review at either Amazon or Goodreads.

I’m about half way through writing the sequel to “Breckinridge Valley.” It will be book 2 in the Surviving the Black series. Don’t have a name for the novel yet, but I’ll post the cover once I have it.

“Breckinridge Valley” loaded to Amazon

My latest book Breckinridge Valley: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller (Surviving the Black–Book 1), is set in today’s timeframe. After Jeremy Breckinridge’s wife dies, he’ll do anything he can to care for his two girls. He resigns from the Army and settles into a quiet Tennessee county to raise his family and help run the family businesses.

But the Breckinridge’s have a well-concealed secret. They are survivalists focused on protecting
their family and allies from any large-scale disruption. When the SHTF, they
learn no plan survives contact with reality. While they are better prepared
than their neighbors, even they find themselves stretched to provide for
Breckinridge Valley’s growing population.

Jeremy is shocked by how quickly societal norms break down
outside the relative oasis of Breckinridge Valley. When a local militia and then
a depraved deputy threaten to take over the area, Breckinridge Valley must act
to preserve its future.

This electrifying novel of persistence demonstrates the
expanding versatility of new author Zack Finley. This dystopian novel features well-researched
survival tips and ideas against the backdrop of rural America.

The Surviving the Black series presents one version of a
possible future, should American society continue its increasing dependence on
a poorly managed electrical grid and food supplies coming from half a continent
away.  

Editing new Book

Finished the new book, now in editing mode. It is an end of life as we know it tale set in a small county in Tennessee. The name of the book is “Breckinridge Valley” it is Book one of “Surviving the Black.” As always editing is a whole lot less enjoyable than writing. It is still quite critical. I’ve hired a cover artist and should have something to share in a week or so. I’m aiming to put the new book up on Amazon before the end of January. I learned a lot writing it, and hope that readers will enjoy it.